Also Known As: Yao Language,Chichawa,Ayo,Hyao,Ayao,Hiao,Veiao,Ayawa,Hajao,Adsawa,Wajao,Jao,Djao,Adsoa,Ciyao,Chiyao,Ajawa,Achawa,Haiao
Description:
Yao is a Bantu language in Africa with approximately 1 million speakers in Malawi, half a million in Tanzania, and around 450,000 in Mozambique. There are also some speakers in Zambia, mainly contracted labourers who live semi-nomadically. In Malawi, the main dialect is Mangoche, mostly around Lake Malawi. In Mozambique, the main dialects are Makale and Massaninga. The language has also gone by several other names, including ChiYao, Achawa, Adsawa, Adsoa, Ajawa, Ayawa, Ayo, Ayao, Djao, Haiao, Hiao, Hyao, Jao, Veiao, and WaJao.
Though the Yao have had a history of cultural domination by Arab, British, German and Portuguese colonists, the language is at last gaining recognition as one of the more important in the region, and dictionaries and grammars have been written.
As in English, unvoiced plosives are breathed and voiced plosives are not. The five main South and Central Bantu vowels (pure a, e, i, o, u) apply. However, there is more variation than usual in vowel length.
In each of the main three countries where Yao is spoken, the orthography differs widely. This is mainly due to the extremely low literacy rate (5%). This is partially reflected in the vast indecision about the..... full article at Wikipedia |